TIM Ream hopes his man-of-the-match display against QPR has given Wanderers manager Dougie Freedman food for thought.

The US international was a surprise selection in a more advanced role as a deep-lying midfielder against the R’s.

But he took to the role like a duck to water and admitted post-match he relished the opportunity to impress.

The 25-year-old said: “You have to perform and give the manager something to think about for the games coming up.

“I think I was able to do that. Hopefully, my name will still be in the hat in the next couple of games.

“For the most part I thought I settled in well.

“It’s a good position for me and I think the manager thinks it suits me – maybe a little bit more than in a role like Jay or Medo.

“I like to play wherever I can get minutes.

“I just like to be in there so whatever role I am happy.

“My role was to sit in front of Zat and Wheats and screen their two strikers.

“I enjoyed it – even taking corners.

“Corners and free-kicks from the right were my responsibility as well and that was a bit different.

“Being a technical player, I can step in and do that. Playing centre-back this last year, you don’t really have that chance.” Ream was taken off as a precaution after feeling a tight hamstring and received a welcome ovation from the fans.

He was happy with that and has quelled injury fears.

He said: “It is always nice to have the fans on your side.

“When you play well, that’s the way things go – the same way you know you will hear about it when you have a bad game.

“The fans are great with us as a whole.

“The injury wasn’t anything major. I could have kept going but not being able to give 100 per cent and being 1-0 down, I thought it as best to step off.”

It may have been a good personal day for the American but the result put a slight dampener on his mood.

But, like his manager, he is taking the positives.

He added: “We did some really good things as a team for spells.

“Defensively, especially in the first half, we did some really good things.

“We made sure they had very few chances.

“Unfortunately, good teams punish you with one chance and that’s what they did. We kept going.

“As hard as it is to take, you do have to try and take positives and look at the game as a whole and the good things we did.

“We can move forward.”